Coupling for air-brake hose and other hose of similar nature



ug. 27, 1929. .y H- E, RlNEHAR-r ET AL 1,726,123

COUPLING FOR AIR BRAKE HOSE AND OTHER HOSE oF SIMILAR NATURE Filed April 15, 1926 Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

itil-ED `-STATES 4PATENT OFFICE.

nai-wmf E. RINEHART AND NORMAN H. SMITH, or WHEELER, OREGON.

CO'PLING FOR AIR-BRAKE HOSE AND OTHER HOSE 0F SIMILAR NATURE.

Application filed April 15, 1926. Serial No. 102,204.

Our present invention relates to, and is an improvement upon our pending application, Serial Number 647,928, hled in the United States Patent Oi'lice, under date oi' J une 26, 1923, which said application is now pending in due and regular forni 1n the United States Patent Ofiice.

Our present invention has for its object the automatic coupling of the air line, the steam line, and the trainA control line, through one coupling head in the train, at the point of thermeeting of the heads between the cars to becoupled, and adjacent to the automatic coupler for coupling the cars themselves together.

fr further object of our invention consists in providing a universal joint, adjacent the head of the automatic coupler, to permit ot the compensation required in such coupling, due to the unevenness of track, and the compensation for the alignment curvature of vthe track.

A further object of our invention consists in new, novel and simple features of con n` struction, wherein an eiiicient coupler is created of but few parts, and one that will not easily get out of order.

A still further object ofour invention consists in providing automatic tensioning means for maintaining pressure upon the universal joint within the coupler head.

A still further obj ect of our invention consist-s in providing means for regulating the tension upon the universal joint to that best suited for the service required.

With these and incidental objects in view,

the invention consists in certain novel fea! tures of construction and combination of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in the appended claim, anda preferred forni of embodiment of which is hereinafter shown with reference to the drawings which accompany and forni a part of this speciiication.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view illustrating our new and improved invention in. place upon two cars made somewhat in detail in order jto illustrate the construction of our invention and its application as applied upon railway cars.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation, partially in cross section of the coupler heads, illustrating the manifold heads of the same and the universal joint.

Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the heads, shown removed, and disengaged from the other, and is made to illustrate the port construction and a preferred embodiment to permit the passage of the operating iiuids from one head to the other, the gasket is j shown in place in this view.

vFig. 4 is a crossA section, taken on line 4 4, of Fig. 2, looking in the directionindicated. c

Fig. 5 is an end view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3, with the gasket shown removed to better illustrate the port connections.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The frame structure of two railway cars is here shown at 1 and 2. To permit of the delineation of our invention as applied in railway use, we have purposely omitted the coupling mechanism of the cars as well as many of the details of construction of the cars. Our invention is particularly well adapted to the automatic coupling of the air, steam and train control fluid lines as used in railway practice. Suitable boxings 3, 4, 5, and 6, are disposed upon the car frame adapted to maintain the central shafts 7 and 8 in alignment and in position upon the car frame. The coupling heads 9 and 10, are preferably placed at a forty-live degree angle to the horizontal to better facilitate the coupling at any location that the same may be required to be engaged in, due to unevenness of track and the curvature encountered upon the track. The bifurcated coupling heads are disposed upon the forward ends of the manifolds 11 and 12. The manifold heads terminate on their rear ends in flanged connections land 14, having a ball and socket connection disposed between the same and the flanged connections 15 and 16, to which the same are engaged; the flanged connections being vsecured together by suitable fastening means, as bolt 17. To com pensate for the unevenness in track and the curvature of the track, it is necessary to maintain a flexible connection` between the manifold head and the main support. A. shaft 8, is provided for this purpose, having a ball 19, disposed on the outer end of the same and adapted to a working fit within the socket disposed between the flanges 13 and 15, as illustrated in Fig. 2. To maintain a suitable working pressure between the llll ball 19, and socket in which the same works., a compression spring 20, is disposed therein, having a gland nut 21, in threaded relationship with themember 8, and which may be made to engage with, the compression spring 20. There will be a constant movement and working relationship between the ball 19, and the socket in which it works,and it will be necessary to lubricate the same and maintain the same in a lubricated condition at all times. To provide for the shocks of coupling and tomaintain a const-ant pressure therebetween, the member 8, extends through the boxings 3 and 4 having a. compression spring 22, disposed therearound and having a collar 23, disposed upon the member 8, so that as the same is assembled upon the car frame-the spring will distend the rod so that collar 24, will engage with the boxing 4, when inl its normal position, and when the coupling is made the spring 22 is compressed and the collar 24, becomes disengaged from the boxing 4. l/Vhen in the normal disengaged position, the collar 23, may also engage with the boxing 3, but when the coupling connection is completed, the spring 22, maintains a compressed relationship between the manifold heads and a tight werking connection is maintained therebetween. These manifold heads will have gaskets 25 and 26, disposed therebetween to prevent leakage of the fluids beingpassed therethrough. rlhese gaskets being maintained in position and in place when the heads are disengaged by a dovetail arrangement, as shown in cross section in Fig. 2. Due to the constant movement of these heads, due to track curvature and difference in track alignment and due to the necessity of passing of two or more fluids under pressure through this connection, we have found best results are obtained wherein, circular ports are provided in the face of each of the'manifold heads and having a ported connection leading therefroml to the outlets leading into, and away from, each of the manifold heads.

Air, under pressure, is used in the braking system of the train and is also used for the train control. As the air is expanded, the same has a tendency to lower the temperature at the point of release. Because of leakage in the connections this many times actually freezes the connections. This is intensified in the winter months, wherein the trains are being operated through and under normally low temperatures. The passage of the steam line through these manifold heads, eliminates the freezing of these heads when operated under such conditions. rlhe train control air line, is led into manifold 11, through a suitable connection 27, and passes through the central port 28, disposed within the manifold heads and is conducted through manifold 12 and to the next car adjacent thereto, through the connection 29. The brake control line is conducted into manifold head 11, through suitable connections 29, is passed through the port 30, and out of the manifold head 12 through a suitable connection 31. rI`he steam line is connected through suitable piping connections 32, through port 33, and out through the manifold head 12, through a suitable connection These hose connections, both into and away from the manifold heads, are of any well known type suitable for this purpose. i

TWhile the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein shown and described, as it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming within the scope of the claim which follows.

`What we claim is In a device of the character described; a horizontal shaft mountable to the under frame of a railroad car; boXings securing said shaft to said frame and permitting a reciprocation thereof; means yieldably forcing said shaft in one direction; a ball formed on the outer end of said shaft; a coupling head providedv with a socket to embrace said ball; a collar threaded to said shaft and spacedVV from said coupling head; and a spring disposed about said shaft between said collar and said head, and adapted to yield'ably restrict the rocking motion of said head upon said ball.

HARVEY E. RINEHART. NORMAN H. SMITH. 

